When I was diagnosed with Chiari, I was extremely lucky that my insurance paid a portion of whomever I chose to see. The neurologist was considered 'out of network' so I had to pay 50% of the bills, instead of 20% that 'in network' would have cost. However, getting a correct diagnosis at the time was more important than the bill. We paid 5 dollars a month, for two years, with larger payments with our tax return, till the entire neuro bill was paid.
The major important thing, at least in my personal opinion, is to find a specialist in neurology (whether a neurologist or a neuro-surgeon) who is experianced with Chiari. I live in the heartland and not east coast, so not sure about doctors in your neck of the woods. It's hard to look at high medical bills, but 5 dollars a month, or whatever you can afford will get you there. Dont give up, honey.
I'll be praying for you!
Dawn
PS - Dun worry bout that dehydrate thingie, we're all on the same page now.... we'll laugh about it in a few months